Let’s Get Real: My weight loss journey {I thought I was going to DIE}

Ok, so last week I told you my deepest and darkest, and you told me that you would like me to blog about my journey. You might be sorry. Ha ha. Just kidding. To those that missed it, I joined a local big loser competition with my besties. Today I will share what I’ve been doing this week. It all started Thursday morning with my alarm going off at 5:20 AM. I thought I was going to die. {AND, I will say that is definitely the motto of the week.} I woke up with a small moving lightning bolt in my vision. Yep, an oncoming migraine headache. I seriously thought, “Are you freaking kidding me!?!” So, I drank a butt load of water, took 800 ibuprofen and left for the gym. I couldn’t be the one to not show up on our FIRST workout. I drank a bunch of energy crystal light for the caffeine content to help the headache, and luckily I was ok. I wasn’t 100% by any means, but I was there. I’m actually super surprised that I didn’t have to quit the workout half way through because when I get a migraine, sometimes it can put me down for an entire day. Phew.

Our trainer {Terica Bishop} is awesome. She is super nice, and she makes us all want to work our butts off. We are tracking everything that we put in our mouth at myfitnesspal.com. She set up a work out schedule for us, and we were ready. Our team has so much fun, and I look forward to seeing everyone’s bright {sarcastic} faces every morning. I am super glad that I joined the team. It took a little coaxing from my friends because I was super scared of failure. But, it feels good to be part of a team. It feels good to work hard so that I don’t let them down.

It all started at the 6:00 AM Circuit Training class at the Washington City Community Center {Justin is the teacher} and in order to get into the class, you have to be one of the first 28 in the door. So, we were there {me and my big loser team} at 5:45. We had 28 stations that consisted of agility exercises, medicine ball calisthenics, running ladders, throwing around a freakin’ humongous rope they call “Jill,” jumping up and down, ab workouts…etc. Basically everything that my body CANNOT do right now, Justin made us do. I WANTED TO DIE, and I thought I was going to die. At the end of the work out I honestly thought I was going to throw up. {I had drank too much water trying to stop that darn headache}. But, I didn’t halle-freakin’ luiah. My heart was beating out of my chest. My face was as red as a tomato, and my lungs burned for the rest of the day.

BUT GUESS WHAT!?! I didn’t die. In fact, I was quite proud of myself at the end. Even though I had to stop and rest {a lot}, I still felt like I accomplished something.

The next morning was spin class. Yep 6:00 AM came WAY TOO EARLY, and once again in order to get a bike, we had to be there at 5:45. When my alarm went off again at 5:20, I thought, “SHUT UP, it is not already time.” I was soooo freakin’ tired. The first thing the teacher said was, “To those of you who are new, THIS IS NOT A BEGINNER’S CLASS.” She wasn’t kidding, and my butt still hurts. Ha ha.

Then Saturday we slept in a bit and went to Zumba at 9:30. It was a blast, and I’m sure I looked like a total idiot. But, it was a good workout and my face was red once again.

We took Sunday off, and enjoyed our Superbowl with shrimp, veggies, and absolutely no carbs the entire day. Monday morning was another class by Justin…I hate him (and love him at the same time). I died, and it sucked. Tuesday morning was Power X by Molly, and I was the last one done on each of the exercises. But, I finished them, and they kicked my trash. I have never pushed my body to hard in my entire life as I have pushed it this week. I actually didn’t know that it could handle exercise like this.

On last Thursday, I went to the local hospital and had my body composition tested at the Gateway to Wellness center, and I sat in their “bod pod.” It was SHOCKING. It told me what % of fat I have, and I’ll just say that I am in the “Risk” category. It was good to see all those starting numbers even though they are quite embarrassing. It told me how many calories I burn each day by just breathing (a little more than 1500 daily). It was pretty cool. I am still unsure of how many calories I should be eating every day though. I have been staying below 1260 calories (because that is what myfitnesspal puts me at). I have made an appointment at the Gateway to Wellness center to have my exact RMR tested (resting metabolic rate). I was pretty shocked that a test like that only costs $40.00.

Here is the frustrating part. I did actually “officially” lose weight {as far as the big loser competition goes thank heavens}, but when I weighed in the first time last Wednesday night I had shoes and stuff on. So, this morning, stripped down {took off my shoes, jacket…etc) the scale showed a loss. BUT, unofficially {according to my home scale} I have actually GAINED 1 pound in the last 7 days. Mathematically the calories in/calories burned ratio does not make ANY sense. I am not an expert {obviously} but this seems totally wrong. I did not cheat. I stayed below my calories, and I didn’t eat any sugar either. I worked harder than I EVER HAVE, and it seems like the pounds should be melting away. I am excited to talk to the dietician and get that RMR test.

Do you have any suggestions? Tell me all I need to know {but please be nice about it} because this is a SUPER sensitive subject.

Comments

I also use MyFitnessPal. Love that sight! Anyways, from what I have read on there it is common to "gain" weight at first. You are not actually gaining at all, your muscles are holding on to water while they adjust to your new exercise regime. At least that's how I understand it. Do a search on the sight about this question, you will find a better explanation than what I just gave Good Luck to you

Good for you! I also wanted to lose some weight and I have been working out consistently for years but I have still gained some weight. In the past month I have lost 7 pounds and here is what has changed for me:

1. Change my work out often. I started doing Jillian Michaels 30 day shred and it's AWESOME. Going to classes and having someone force to work hard is great.

2. Track all my calories (borderline obsessively). I've learned so much and have really cut back my portions.

3. Don't go more than 2 hours without eating something. I will have a yogurt, orange, some crackers, etc just to keep me going so I don't fill up on my 3 meals.

4. Don't eat after 8 and I try not to eat sweets or junk food Mon-Fri. Sometimes I have a small square of dark chocolate which is actually really good for you and this helps a ton.

It sounds like you are on the right track and I think your body will start to realize you're making changes and you will see the scale change soon. Maybe try measuring yourself as well because those changes can be significant. Good luck!

This is such a tough thing because your weight loss can be such a boost, when you lose and your proud, but can also be so depressing when you gain.

I am an over eater and have struggled with food for the last 10 years. I've gone through many ups and downs and feel like I have a pretty healthy diet/lifestyle.

It would be impossible to do in a Biggest Loser competition, but I do NOT weigh myself anymore. I have to remember – what is my ultimate goal – I want to live a healthy lifestyle that is manageable and i can enjoy. I don't need to see a number on a scale to give me that feeling.

But, since you're in a weight loss program, I think it'd be impossible to ignore the scale!! that's part of it!! So my suggestion honestly would be to only weigh yourself in your given day/time/location and get rid of the scale at home. Just continue to eat healthy and work out like the program suggests and the weight will come off. I promise. Then, whatever weight you end up being is what you're intended to be at.

Hope that helps! I think it's awesome what you're doing and you should just be proud of yourself! Don't give up because while some days may seem impossible, remember this is a long term thing that you are going to do the rest of your life!

Oh, and Mom of Many J's, according to MyFitnessPal you are not eating enough calories! A woman should not go below 1200 calories a day. They say that you should also eat back your exercise calories or you put your body into what they call starvation mode, meaning your body wont lose anymore after the first few weeks. If that is the case, have fun eating more! LOL And good luck to you too!

That is AWESOME, Brooke! Good for you!!! You will have weeks like this…you work harder than you ever have, you count every calorie, you sacrifice sleep, you drink water….and then you gain weight.

This is what could be happening:1. Your body is scrambling to try and figure out what you're doing to it. 2. You've been drinking (lots) more water, and you're carrying some extra water weight.3. You're building MUSCLE, which takes up less space than fat, but weighs more. This is a good thing; muscle burns calories even when they're not necessarily engaged in exercise. You want more muscle and you want to replace the fat. This is why you might lose inches, but gain weight.

A couple of last notes…with adjusting your schedule, make sure you're still giving your body lots of rest. It needs that sleep time to make its repairs! Otherwise, you'll just be wearing yourself out and opening yourself up for sickness (which means skipped workouts), so go to bed an hour earlier if you're getting up an hour earlier.

Just to encourage you a bit…when I'm training for a marathon, I don't get slim and lean, I actually bulk up and have giant muscles. I put on 15 POUNDS when I trained for me last marathon. It was extremely hard to accept, but it's part of how my body works. I was pushing it hard and my body was responding by bulking up to prepare for all I was asking of it. So, take heart! What matters is your body fat %, cholesterol, blood sugar…these are the true measures of health, unlike that number on the scale!

I use Livestrong.com to track my calories and the only thing I can suggest looking at what I've learned there is to make sure your eating enough. Finding the perfect balance between calorie output vs. input is hard but important for weight loss. Not eating enough will keep your body from letting go of what you don't need when you're working out like crazy.

What is likely to happen is that you'll stay 'even' for a few days, get totally frustrated then, magically, you'll have a couple pound drop out of nowhere. At least that's been my experience.

I need to get some of these pounds off too. So frustrating!

Also, one of the best pieces of advice I've gotten was from Tom Venuto (dude's a genius) and that was to 'zig zag' your calories to keep your body guessing. If you're eating 1260, then every 3rd or 4th day, bump it up to 1,560 HEALTHY calories for one day- same good stuff you're eating, just more. When you reach a 'plateau', try upping the calories slightly for a few days and see if it helps too.

You are doing AWESOME!! Last year I started to get healthy (have fallen off the wagon, but starting to get back on!) and the first thing I learned was that me and the scales did not get along. The first month of boot camp (4 days a week) I only lost 7 pounds BUT I lost almost 13 inches all over!! So I learned inches were more important then weight. At first I weighed in weekly but after being disappointed I switched to monthly and focused on inches and how my clothes fit.

Keep up the good work and thanks for posting, this has helped me get re-motivated!!

Way to go! It's such a great feeling to push yourself like that. Don't get discouraged. Scales lie. So many factors go into it, so I'd encourage you to look at other indicators as a measure of your success. Are you able to work out longer before stopping? Are you less sore or do you bounce back quicker? Is your energy improving? How does your skin feel? Less tight? Are your clothes fitting differently? It will take about 12 weeks for others to really notice the changes and anywhere from 3-6 weeks for you to really start to see them. Don't give up and realize that you are on a great path! You rock, Girl!

One thing I do not own is a scale because it would be too depressing. I eat healthy and exercise at least five days a week. I gage my fitness on how my clothes fit and how I feel inside. Be sure you are getting enough water and keep in mind that you could be gaining muscle and muscle weighs more than fat.:) Best wishes on your journey!

Way to go! You are awesome for pushing your body to it's limits! You have nothing to worry about with how much you've dropped so far. It's been like a week and a half? I don't know how much you have to lose but for most people it doesn't happen in a few weeks or even a few months- at least if you want it to be permanent weight loss. LOSING WEIGHT IS HARD WORK. Really hard work. So keep it up! Also, carbs are not a bad thing and they don't make you gain weight- extra calories do. Don't be afraid to eat nutritious whole grains. They are good for you!

And I bet you felt fabulous all week until you got on those scales huh?I hate the things. Never before have I known such a sedentary piece of equipment have so much control over how we feel about ourselves.Alas they are necessary to our weight loss.Personally I don't calorie count as it's too much like a 'diet' and 99% of those fail for me, so I go to slimming world and have learned to eat healthy instead.Your weight gain could be one of many things; water retention, muscle gain or even the time of the month. In fact you could weight yourself 12 hours later and find those pounds are no longer there so try not to lose heart.Your exercising and that's the main thing. You're already taking all the steps necessary to be healthy so try not to fixate on what the scales say – i know it's hard because those scales supposedly determine how 'good' we've been.But they do lie – honestly! Least that's what i tell myself and you'd be amazed how much better that piece of knowledge can make you feel. lol.You're doing great.

I've been using myfitnesspas since September. I've lost about 50 lbs since August. It is a great program. The past two weeks, though, I have experienced the same thing as you. I am doing everything right and not losing… going up and down two or three pounds every other day. It is VERY frustrating. I truly believe that part of it is the fat to muscle deal. I also believe that women just have days that they retain water and cause the scale to go up. My clothes are getting looser, so I am trying not to get hung up on the number. You are doing great! I'm always looking for a support buddy, if you need one!

Good for you!! I am in the same boat as you. Before kids I was a size 2 and super fit, and after gaining 75 pounds during both pregnancies I am no longer a 2. I lost all 75 with the first and I am 53 down from the second. I absolutely love nutrition and the science behind it. To me, it sounds like with all the exercising you are doing that you are not eating enough calories. You really shouldn't lose more than 2 pounds per week, otherwise you risk losing muscle instead of fat. So, that would mean that you need to burn 1,000 calories per day. With the exercise your doing it sounds like you are most likely burning 500 calories with that. That leaves a deficit of 500 calories in the nutrition department. I have found that if I restrict my calories too much that I don't lose the weight, it hangs on because my body feels deprived. Also, you really should not restrict any nutrient group from your diet completely. Eliminating carbs can cause headaches, actually slow your thyroid down, and a slew of other things. Hang in there and eat wholesome foods and it will happen. Good luck!!

Two things. First, make sure when you are weighing in that it is at the same time of the day, same place, same scale, same everything. Your scale may be precise but not accurate; that is, it may accurately reflect your weight loss progress, but not accurately reflect your weight. If you weighed in on one scale, showed a loss, and then weighed on another scale and showed a gain, it is very likely those two scales are not calibrated the same way.

Also, always weigh in the morning, obviously; if you weigh in at night, you are weighing your body as well as everything you have had to eat or drink that day.

As to calories: eat more of them. 1260 is a very, very low caloric intake, even for a woman, but particularly for a woman who has some weight to lose. As a general rule of thumb, take your body weight, subtract 20lbs, and then multiply that next tier weight by 10 for each pound. For example, if you weigh 180lbs and want to lose weight, eat 1600 calories a day. It is very important for weight loss to eat ENOUGH calories a day. Eating too few will sabotage you, your body will reduce the processes it gives energy to, and it will store every single spare calorie it can get its hands on as fat. Bad news bears.

Especially since you are exercising so hard, you need to be getting adequate energy and nutrients.

FINALLY, please remember that as you work out, especially in the beginning, not only do your body's stored water levels fluctate, but you may be putting on muscle more rapidly than you're burning off the equivalent of fat, so the scale will seem to inch or stall entirely. Let's say you gain 1.5lbs of muscle and lose 3lbs of fat; you will only see a 1.5lb loss on the scale, but you have actually rid yourself of those 3lbs of fat AND given yourself 1.5lbs of muscle, which is awesome, because muscle requires far more calories per day to maintain, so the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism in general is.

In short: eat enough, weight training is for winners, and get as superstitious about your weighing-in routine as baseball players are about their socks.

Also, please do remember that, as women, we have TOTALLY NATURAL AND UNAVOIDABLE fluctuations in water weight based on our hormonal cycle. You might just show a 4lb gain in water and bloating in the week before your period even if you're rightfully 6lbs ligher than that.

Take the scale with a grain of salt, weigh every couple of days so that you can see the general trend of your weight and not get so fixated on what the scale says on Wednesday, just because that's your arbitrary weigh-in day (or whatever it may be).

You are doing an AWESOME thing, getting healthy, improving your fitness, and giving your body the awesome nutrients it needs instead of the unhealthy white flour and sugar that it definitely does not. The scale is not the end-all-be-all! Take your victories wherever you see them, because you totally deserve them!

I agree… I think you probably did loose weight, but gained muscle. Don't let the scale fool you – especially if you were eating well and exercising – it's healthy weight! I find for me when I'm exercising, I like to keep track of inches instead of pounds because the muscle gain plays games with my mental state. Good luck, you are doing great!!

congratulations on beginning this tricky journey! and for sticking to your guns so far. i'm no expert, so i can't say for sure why you didn't lose any pounds, but i do know that muscle weighs more than fat, so perhaps you lost some fat, but gained some more muscle? whatever the reason, i'm sure the scale will begin to reflect all the effort you are doing, and if it doesn't, then the inches off your waist, arms, or where ever you hope to lose will! keep it up!!

When I was losing weight and hitting the gym/eating right.. I found that weighing myself once a day, first thing in th morning was the best. A trainer of mine told me that it's easier to calculate your weight loss if you do it at the same time daily, or everytime you weight. In the mornings, your food has digested and you havent put anything in your mouth yet. If you do it before you shower it's easier too because your nekked …Any ways, good luck on the weight loss journey!

So many women are right there with you, including me. I'm trying to lose the weight. I weigh myself every day, right after I exercise in the morning, so I can gauge the weight loss. Some days I'll lose and some I've gained but I try not to get discouraged since I'm trying. Just keep trying. You've already been given a lot of advice so I'll just say keep it up!

Some Super Great comments here! I agree!! Yes, your body is adjusting it's getting use to things. Just keep it up and I guarantee you will see changes. Sometimes changes on the scale are frustrating. Don't let it get you down. I know with me sometimes I may gain, but lose a lot of inches. So, I would suggest taking measurements every month or every 2 weeks to truly see what's happening. Also, yes- how you feel, your energy level, your actual body numbers, body fat, blood pressure, etc. Those are more important. But, as your body adjusts and as you keep at it, I'm sure that darn scale will budge. Eat enough calories and continue to drink enough water. Try and eat a good protein with each snack to keep you fuller longer. Drink a glass of water before each meal or snack. Tomorrow I'll be talking about the best foods for weight loss on my blog if you need any help in that area. It may give you some ideas. You are doing Awesome! Great Job!http://www.sparklesandbugs.blogspot.com(Fit Mama WannaBe)

Just wanted to say good job & I think you're awesome! I've loved your blog forever and admire you in many ways. I must say, I agree with the people that said to eat more. I'm no expert, but that sounds like such a little amount when you're getting the crap kicked out of you every day. Either way, rock on & well done!!! Keep it up!

my advice to you is to KEEP GOING! i'm just about a week ahead of you and when i get frustrated i remember this quote i read back in the day:

"it takes 4 weeks for you to see your body changing. it takes 8 weeks for friends and family and it takes 12 weeks for the rest of the world. KEEP GOING."

i've been up and down in weight throughout the years…when i got married a year and a half ago i said i wouldn't let myself go again, but here i sit, bigger than ever! this time around i'm not losing weight for an event or for anyone except for ME!

My ever so humble advice is that it's not just about calories. We have started eating prima-Marks daily Apple Blog is a good place to start. He doesn't advocate lots of excercise.

My husband has lost 35+ pound sin the last 6 months and my wight has shifted around for the better. It's easy without calorie counting but it does take a shift in mindset because it goes against what the govt tells us about whole grains.

First of all, WAY TO GO!!! My advice is keep up the hard work, and ignore the scale for the first month. You are building major muscles and they weigh more than fat. BUT every pound of muscle will burn more fat down the road…so just keep your focus, and we will keep cheering you on. You can do it!!!

Trying to lose weight just sucks!! But im a huge fan of weight watchers. I do it online. I would never want to weigh in in front of people. I lost 30lbs on it before I got pregnant with my son then gained some back. I started it again in July and Ive lost 50lbs! I think it is the most realistic diet plan out there. I go out to eat all the time I just have learned what to eat and not to eat. If you use the app on your phone it will change your life. I know some people dont like the idea of counting points but its much easier then counting calories. Good luck! I hope that helps.

First of all, GO YOU!! YOU did AMAZING!! Second, you have to remember that Muscle weighs MORE than fat. And since you are not used to using your mucles like you have been, they will be getting bigger. What I would suggest is that you measure yourself. At the first day of the week, measure every area. Then on the last day, measure again. Don't pay attention to the scale, pay atention to the change in inches. I hope that helps. GOOD LUCK!!

I agree with Alina @ My Yellow Umbrella, you are most likely building muscle, which weighs more than fat! So don't be discuraged if at first you are weighing a little more but sticking to what you're eating/drinking/exercising. Give it some time for that muscle to build.

Oh my – you just described my weight loss journey! I've been sticking to 1100 calories/day and 30 minutes of cardio, 20 min of pilates, and 15 minutes of weights 4-5 days each week. I lost 8lbs in the first 3 weeks, but since then – it's been rough. Lost 0 the past 2 weeks and when I got on the scale today I had GAINED 3 lbs. Seriously? Can that all be muscle? I drink TONS of water, no caffeine, no sugar and eat VERY low carb. I'm beyond frustrated – I know what I'm doing is good for me, but it is really hard to not be able to see or feel any real change.

Holy-Crap! You go girl! Good for you! You're truely an inspiration for the rest of us! I've been on the same path for about three weeks now. I've never dieted in my life-but now it's time to lose 40lbs. I joined weight watchers, the gym, and yoga. I lost 10lbs the first two weeks, super easy. Now I'm stuck. Haven't lost anything this week. What I have noticed is that you should weigh yourself at the same time every day. Also-water weight gain right before your period. And you're working your ass off, surely building a ton of muscle, which weighs more than fat. Keep it up-it takes 8 weeks to start seeing results

I second what Alina said — muscle weighs more than fat (or else why do buff people sink and padded people float?). Do you feel stronger? Are there new muscles somewhere? Also, one pound more or less is like, nothing. Keep it up — move more, eat less, and it WILL pay off.

I have a terrible time losing weight. I tried running, boot camps, everything and of course watching every calorie that I ate. I started Bar Method (it works, I can stick with it, and I wasn't ravenously hungry after ) and it has completely transformed my body and has helped me lose weight.

Everyone is different, and you may have to try different types of diets/exercise before you find something that works for you.

This won't make sense but you are eating too FEW calories. If you are going to exercise then you should eat around 1400 calories a day. If you are not going to exercise you can eat the 1200. If you eat too few calories when working out your body will go into starvation mode and actually gain weight. I know its tough, I struggle with eating the 1400 because I want to lose weight fast. But even Jilian Michaels diet plan has you eating 1400 calories a day when exercising. Don't give up, just eat a few more calories and remember carbs are not the enemy. Just eat balanced. Good luck

I get different numbers everytime I weigh myself on a different scale, so at your next weig- in, after you weigh yourself before you eat, drink or pee, get your butt home and calibrate your scale to the one for your official weigh-in. This is a good way to cheat and prepare for what the scale says on weigh-in night. Possibility #2 is that your body said what your head was saying "oh my godness I think were dying" and it stored up goodies, it can only do that for so long, then you should see some really positive results at the scale. Don't forget as women there are certain times of the month that we tend to bloat.

My sis-in-law works at The Warehouse in St. George (it's a Zumba place). She struggled with her weight on and off, but especially after having 4 kids in 6 years. She started going to The Warehouse because she loves to dance and thought zumba might help her weight. One year later, she has lost 45 lbs, is pregnant with twins (again!) and looks absolutely FABULOUS. She goes everyday, has NOT changed her eating habits other than not eating at night after dinner, and her body has just melted. I think the best thing about it is how much fun she has. To her it is not as much a work out, but a party, though she does work her tail off. Anyway, her name is Falon. She's now an instructor there. Look her up. She is super fun and you might enjoy The Warehouse.

Congrats on getting thru that week. I am pretty sure I would have died. It sounds like you should be loosing weight and lots of it. I understand how personal it can be to discuss efforts to loose weight with the whole world, last week, I started "The Pants Projec" where I will be showing a picture of myself trying to squesse into a size 10 pair of pants to show in pictures how my weight loss is coming along. I would be tickled if you would check it out.

I find that if my "calories in" number can be TOO low. Under 1300 is really low for the type of workouts you're describing. You're body can go into a type of 'starvation mode" and then it will just hang on to your weight instead of letting the fat go. I'd suggest adding another snack to your day. Another protein with your lunch or something like that.

Congrats on surviving your first week and pushing your body to new limits!! Can't wait to hear more.

First….WAY TO GO!!!! You are on your way to a healthier you already! Don't let numbers on your scale dictate your moods to you. Anytime you are moving your body, you are helping your body. I spent several years training and then working as a fitness instructor, and have also fought the battle of the bulge…I know it sucks to not see results of all your hard work on the scale. I also know that cutting calories too drastically can set your body into 'starvation mode'. It will take your low calorie consumption as a signal that times are tough and to hold onto the stored energy (fat!) as much as possible. If I might be so bold, I would suggest cutting calories in stages…a couple hundred each week will not send alarm signals to your bod. Soon, you'll be down to the number you need to consume to lose weight without going into shock. Drink lots of water between meals, but not at meals…this dilutes your stomach acids so they don't work as well digesting the food you eat. I admire your honesty and determination…you go girl!

DON'T weigh yourself everyday. Choose a time once or twice a week and weigh yourself then. If you weigh yourself every day you're going to catch the natural fluxes in weight and get discouraged – we all gain and lose repeatedly each week depending on what our bodies are retaining.

DON'T expect huge changes immediately. Someone once told me, "Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint." It's going to take time and constant effort and if you're putting pressure on yourself to drop more than 1-2lbs a week, you're setting yourself up for failure.

DON'T go below 1200 calories. It's wise to start at a higher calorie budget and work your way down towards 1200 as you lose weight. Depriving yourself suddenly after indulging yourself for so long might result in fast weight loss right away, but it won't be sustainable and your body will go into panic mode under the strain of such a deficit and start retaining everything. This is probably what happened.

DO drink tons of water. DO eat when you're hungry – just eat intelligently. DO give yourself at least one day of rest a week, so your body doesn't start crumbling from over-exertion. DO track absolutely every single thing you eat. DO stay positive!

It's going to take time for your body to adjust to your new lifestyle, but when it does it'll all feel perfectly natural and you won't know how you managed before! I'm on Week 5, down 14lbs, and haven't felt starved since the first week. The first week or two suck, but once your body figures out what's going on, it's awesome! Good luck!

I think everyone on here has great advice. However, unless they are a professional dietitian or nutritionist I would recommend seeking advice on how many calories you need to lose weight and then sustain that goal weight. Because what works for them, may not work well for you.

You always think that lowering your caloric intake will speed up the diet process, but in some cases it doesn't! If you don't eat the proper amount of calories for your body (and the right kind) then your body will go into a starvation mode. I've been there and done that, so that is why I sought professional help. There are many ways you can seek professional advice.

Look at any local universities in your area that offer nutrition degrees. At the university I work at they actually have a program where students will take on clients for free, do all the required testing and discuss proper nutrition based on your test results. Some other universities charge community members for this, but from what I've seen it isn't nearly as expensive. The other alternative is find a nutritionist or dietitian that charges a flat for for "x" of sessions.

I wish you the best on your journey. This is a difficult journey for anyone and I thank you for sharing it with all of us. It definitely is motivating when you have others you can turn to for support!

Hey Brooke. First off I just want to say I love your blog…have followed you for a long time, love your posts just have never taken the time to comment on much. You are one dedicated Lady! It is always hard to start something new that especially gets you out of bed early in the morning. I hate that.

*** I just wanted to share with you a supplement that my husband has been taking for 5 months now and has helped him lose 65 lbs. It helps give him the energy to want to get up and move and helps him make better eating choices because he just doesn't crave much anymore. It helped him go off Mountain Dew completely. Anyway, I will give you the link and you can check it out…if you like what you see you can definitely let me know. I am a distributor for the company and can send you a week sample pack (that they just came out with) for only $14 then you can see if it is something you like. No pressure here at all I just wanted to share with a friend ( I feel like I know you ) what has helped our family lose over 200 pounds together. I have even lost 10 lbs. I take it on the days that I go to the gym because it gives me so much energy I work out like a mad women and burn way more calories. It is an All Natural product and it is very nice to know that nothing in the product can hurt us or have side affects. Anyway, check it out and get back to me. I wish you the best of Luck!-Trisha Sanderson [from P.G. Utah]squishysandee[at]gmail[dot]com

Woo hoo!!! Congrats on such a huge first step. The awesome thing about being on a team (especially with so many of them being friends already) is that you have people to be accountable too. That can be an awesome motivating factor to continue on when you are having a rough patch.

I've often heard that it takes 4 weeks to notice changes to yourself. It's hard to not see any changes especially at first. Something is happening–you just may not be able to see it!!

Also, just know that sometimes you don't get it right on the first attempt. Not all decorating works the first time. We tweak, we paint, we move, we paint again, more tweaking… it's the same with fitness and nutrition. We have to give it the time to be able to see what is helping us and what is hindering us. And then we can make changes accordingly.

Good for you, my dear! What a great accomplishment. Please don't worry about your weight for the first little while. In the transition of fat to muscle you may actually gain weight in the short term. I just saw an image on facebook of a girl at that took images of herself before and after. The before photo was at 127 lbs (I wouldn't mind that!) and the after photo was at 136 lbs. She was thicker at 127 lbs and thinner at 136 lbs because her 9lbs of muscle took up less space than the fat that was there before. Just some food for thought. You can do it! Stick with it and really watch what you eat. If you want to try giving up carbs (really helped me get rid of my little poochy tummy)…the BEST way to stay full is to eat lots of the good fats (fat burning fats). I have been off grains for almost 5 years and wouldn't be able to do it without : Raw Almond Butter, Extra Virgin Coconut oil (for ALL kinds of cooking), Avocados, and other raw nuts. Everyone thinks they could NEVER give up carbs, but it's because carbs help us think we're full. Good fats will take the place of carbs for helping you feel nice and full. My CrossFit trainer says that as long as you're eating good fats, your body will use them for fuel and energy to burn more calories! Good luck! Sorry for the novel

I'm proud of you! Keep it up! I know how you're felling, my girlfriends and I signed up for a 10K. We've been running for almost everyday for the past two weeks and it's hard, I'm the slowest in the bunch and always finish last. I know it's hard, but keep it up because you won't see results right away but little by little you'll start to get more energy, the workout gets easier and you'll see the results. It's slow at first but once you get your groove you will love the result!

Ok- I came to your blog for home decorating/DIY stuff but this post is right up my alley. I have lost 78.3 lbs (and yes I earned every little .whatever so i will include them) and I work out a lot- mostly zumba and strength training. We do new choreography and strength exercises each month and some months I am more sore than others and that is when I have noticed a smaller loss or even a gain sometimes. On the otherhand when I have been sick or injured and not worked I will lose more than I think I should- which tells me that muscle really does weigh more than fat. But muscle is so much sexier than faat- am I right???? Good luck on your journey!

This may have already been said, and I'm far from an expert. but it sounds like you're going to be building muscle before you start burning fat, especially working out so hard so fast. Don't get discouraged just yet. it takes time to loose pounds b/c muscle does weigh more than fat. but you ARE loosing fat.

In my experience (I have lost 30 pounds over the last year, slowly but surely) and it is a slow steady process where you have to change your lifestyle. You won't see immediate results but you will see them! The first week you are probably carrying a lot of water weight because you have been drinking more I would assume. My adivce…just keep going and give it time to pay off. After starting a workout regime it can take 2 weeks or more to start seeing results in your body. Way to go gettin healthy!

Wow! You have so much to be proud of despite the numbers on the scale. I'm very, very impressed. Keep up the good work, and I'm sure your HEALTH and all the important numbers will reflect your efforts.

Don't get too discouraged. You're going for the long-term changes. After I lost 25 pounds (amidst numerous workouts and weight-training sessions), I FELT the difference when I walked up a single flight of stairs at someone's home. It was crazy how I felt like I'd simply flown up the stairs instead of thumping up them.Think of the small successes – how you focused less on food this week, how you ate better, how nice those workouts feel (think about the slightly sore feeling as being a nice feeling). It WILL come off for you.

Great job, Brooke! Working out is SO HARD! I do it 5 days a week and have come to absolutely LOVE it! I love going to the hard classes, I love going to spin (and my spin teacher is a beast! Sometimes I want to punch her in the face when she keeps telling us to "turn it up!") and I love the way working out makes me feel.

I use myfitnesspal.com everyday! So glad you are using it. Using it is one of the reasons I lost 30 pounds. It totally makes you think twice about what you put in your mouth when you know you have to record the calories.

And you should definitely be consuming more than 1260 calories a day!!! I had a trainer a couple of years ago, and she said if you are working out, you should be eating AT LEAST 1500/day. Make sure you record your workouts on My Fitness Pal. It will give you extra calories for the day. You don't have to use them, but you can and still lose weight. I've got some super yummy and healthy recipes that don't taste like they are low-fat/low-cal. Seriously, let me know if you want them! This is a topic I am super passionate about now. I lost 30 pounds almost two years ago and have kept it off. It's not easy, it's a choice I make every single day, but being healthy is more important to me than eating crappy food (most days . . . ha!).

I have been losing weight for a long time now. It's a slow process since I am not tall. You are working out really hard. Whenever that happens tiny tears in your muscles will happen. This is why you gain weight after a really hard work out. Your muscles are retaining water and trying to repair themselves.

Another thing about your calories, be careful about how low you go. 1200 should be the absolute lowest for women. Lower than that your body will go into "starvation mode" and hold onto every single ounce of fat it can. If you want to calculate your calories the most accurate way, use the Mifflin St Jeor equation. This was given to me by my mom who is a dietician. This is the most accurate way of calculating your calories.

For Women: 10×weight(in Kg) + 6.25×height(in cm) – 5×age – 161 that number is then multiplied by an activity factor

Are you watching your sodium intake? That can play with numbers on the scale.. I think there are a few things you could do to make this easier, one is to find a different time to work out unless this is the only time, and two try running… Running is a great way to lose weight while calorie counting. I have been running since the 3 or January and am down 12 lbs.. Push yourself towards a goal like a 5k..

So, after having my daughter last May, I wasn't losing any weight. I also never had any energy to do much of anything. A good friend of mine suggested I try a B-12 patch (B12patch.com) to give me some more energy. After a couple of months, I decided to try it around Christmas time. After about a month of use, my weight is starting to come off! I did start going to the gym with some friends a couple times a week, but I really think the difference is those patches. I have several friends now that are using them and after a few weeks of use, all of us are starting to lose weight. If anything, it might help you have the energy to make it through all your workouts. Good luck! Losing weight is a big challenge!

Way to go! I recently began my own weight loss journey when I was diagnosed with a liver disorder that can only be cured with weight loss. I took a RMR test too and was shocked to learn that I needed to eat 1700 calories a day. My 1200 calorie a day diet was destroying my metabolism. I also took a test that determined in which heart rate zones I burned the most fat. Again I was surprised to learn that I'd been working out too hard. Ask your trainer about heart rate zones and zone training. You want to work out smart so youre burning fat not sugar. I've been at it for 5 weeks and the weight is starting to slowly come off. The first 4 weeks my weight was all over the place. Dont get discouraged, just take it one day at a time. Good luck!

I've recently started going to the gym as well and I've been pushing myself (not as hard as you have, but pushing the limits of what I can do), and I too have not lost any weight, and in fact gained 2 pounds.

At this point, I'm taking a look at everything I do (and now I'm focusing more on my eating habits). I have been doing some strength training, so I'm attributing these 2 pounds to muscle lol, but I'm definitely going to come at this with a new attitude and mindset so this +2 pounds thing doesn't get to me!